The Shadows of Regret
by Forbidden Shadows
Summary: Lost in a world of regret, Aliec tries to cope. He has vowed that make up for his mistake that had cost him his friend. But with mysterious disappearances occurring in Saint's Haven and the strange reappearance of his friend after so many years, will Aliec be able to focus on uncovering this mystery? Set after the Karas Dragon Raid and before Chapter 2 of the main quest line.
1. Chapter 1: Regret

**Disclaimer: **I don't own DN.

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**Chapter One:** Regret

Anger. Guilt. Sorrow. Regret. They are my constant companions throughout the last few years. Even in the midst of all the merriment generated by the neighboring civilians, I still can't find peace and happiness within my own thoughts. Perhaps I deserved it.

Today marks the eighth year since that dreadful day when I let my anger flow out of control. It was the day that I had lost connection with a valuable friend. We were fighting over something that I could not remember anymore, but I do remember the rapid escalation of anger and the sudden shock of loneliness as she announced she was leaving to find a better life for herself, away from her past, away from me. Maybe she had toyed with the decision for a while, but I can't help thinking that I was the catalyst. Perhaps if I hadn't lost control that day, I would still have her by my side. Perhaps...

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts away. Contemplating what would have been wasn't going to make any of it come true. I had already promised myself that I would make up for it the best I could when I found her again. Plus, my favorite time of day was approaching, so I concentrated on that instead.

Dawn, painting streaks of purple, pink, and orange on the dark blue canvas, was making its colorful entrance back into the world once again, chasing the darkness of night away. The wind was calm and comfortable, promising wonderful weather. Maybe, one day, I'll be like the dawn, chasing out the darkness that I carry within me. There I go again. I shook my head angrily.

I got up from my sitting position and started pacing around the balcony of my little house. I had to get my mind off of the past, but it didn't help that it was my day off from my usual duties of running errands for the Royal Castle. Maybe I could still ask them for tasks to complete, seeing how the monsters never rest. Yes, that sounded like a good plan.

Having a direction now, I quickly moved back into the house and changed into my usual deep blue tunic and matching slacks. I swung my shield onto my back and secured my trusty wand to my waistband. Double checking that I had everything, I walked downstairs to the table next to the front door. There, I found my dark brown gloves and, underneath the table, the matching boots for the gloves.

Just as I was about to open the front door and make my way to the Royal Castle of Saint's Haven, a knock resounded quite loudly through the house. It took me by surprise for a moment. Not many people knew where I lived and I didn't make an effort to become friends with the people I enjoy helping so much. I didn't want to hurt anyone ever again, even if it was unintentional. Mentally, I ran through the small list of people that might appear in front of my door this early in the morning.

A more urgent knock could be heard and I quickly opened the door. Not one, but two people stood there facing me. One with bright green eyes and a young face that I had seen so much of throughout the nine years since I first came to Saint's Haven. The other with gray eyes and a worried expression tinted with a trace of fear.

"Aliec! You are home after all," the one with bright green eyes said, relief and happiness radiated from his deep voice. "Thought we missed you or something, since you do have a habit of leaving early even on your day off."

"You caught me just in time. I was just about to head over to the Royal Castle," I replied, smiling weakly.

"Then it's a good thing that this lady here came to find me as early as she did," the boy stated. "But why were you going to the Royal Castle? It's your day off."

"I- I had to get my mind off of something and thought work would help," I stammered. The boy didn't say anything for a while. I could see he was trying to figure out what this something was. It wasn't long before it clicked and understanding dawned upon his face. He was the only one that knew me so well, the only friend I had in this big city. He was there the day she left me.

"Aliec, it's been eight years. Perhaps it's time to let go," the boy suggested. "Maybe you don't need to go to the Royal Castle, I think we got a situation on our hands. May we come in?" I opened the door wider and beckoned the two into my house.

"Anything to drink?" I asked them as they settled on the couch in my living room. Both of them shook their heads, so I sat down too. "So what's the situation?"

"Do you want to explain it again, miss, or shall I?" the boy asked the lady, who was sitting next to him on the couch. She glanced at me sitting across from her, then back at the boy and shook her head. I raised an eyebrow at the way she looked at the two of us.

"I promise I won't laugh or bite, miss, contrary to what people may say about me," I said, smiling now for the first time today. Given the way I had isolated myself when I wasn't working, there were many rumors about what I did in my free time that circulated among some of the civilians. The boy chuckled and the lady gave a weak smile. "But if you're uncomfortable with explaining it again, I'm sure Gilan here will be happy to help." I shifted my attention to my best friend.

"Remember when we cleared out the Black Mines last year? It allowed the miners to get back to work," Gilan said, sobering up. I nodded. "Well, it seems like last night's shift never made it back to their homes. This lady's husband, along with a couple other men, are missing."

"Not even one man made it back?" I asked, skeptically. The men that worked the mines usually went in groups of ten.

"One did. He's in intensive care now at the Castle," Gilan replied. "The troubling thing was, the man was blathering about a shadow that swallowed all the men. While I don't doubt the man was telling us what he saw, I don't think that's what really happened. There must be some other explanation."

"So the Royal Castle already knows about the incident, was anyone sent to investigate? I'm sure General Duglas could spare some of his men," I questioned, trying to piece together all these information.

"Some of the Royal forces were dispatched to look for clues, but they haven't gotten back yet. This lady came and found me this morning, frantic that the Royal forces might have disappeared too and that she'll never see her husband again," Gilan told me.

"I see. So now you're going to investigate and was wondering if I'd want to help?" I asked, knowing what the answer would be, just for confirmation.

"You read my mind," Gilan replied, grinning. Nothing got him down, no matter how dire the situation. "You wouldn't want to miss it and I feel better with your relics there to help me out."

"Just my relics?" I couldn't resist teasing him. His mood was infectious. "I guess my presence and my light spells are just useless." Gilan rolled his eyes at me and stood up.

"I'll escort this lady home and then meet you at the South Gate," Gilan said. "Sound good?"

"Yep, I'll be waiting," I answered.

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading my first DN fanfic! Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review if you have time. :D


	2. Chapter 2: Threat

**Chapter Two**: Threat

As soon as Gilan appeared at the South Gate of Saint's Haven, we left the city to start our investigation. The Black Mines, a series of underground tunnels, were rather close to the city and wasn't more than a ten minute walk away. All thoughts of the past drained away as I focused on the upcoming task.

I enjoyed the weather as the fresh crisp air blew softly into my face and ruffling my short white hair. I breathed in as much of it as I could, knowing that once in the mines, the air would be rather stale. Gilan swept me a sidelong glance.

"You 're gonna suffocate before we even enter the mines by the way you're dragging every last breath of air into your lungs," Gilan said, amusement evident in his eyes. I playfully nudged him, but otherwise didn't reply.

It wasn't long before we came to the entrance. It looked the same as the last couple times we came this way, a brown cave-like structure with some vegetation growing around it. I peered inside to the depths of the darkness. Nothing different there either.

Swinging my shield into my left hand and gripping my wand with my right, I headed into the cave. Gilan, holding his greatsword in both hands, followed suit. The further into the darkness and away from the light we walked, the less we could see. I whispered a small lightning spell that brightened the tip of my wand and that little brightness was just enough to illuminate the path in front of me.

Down and down we travelled and soon, I could feel that we had approached the main cave before actually seeing the opening, since the air is just a bit better than it was as we walked down the tunnel. I let go of the spell and the little light that we had diminished. Then, casting another spell, a lightning relic appeared, spectacularly brightening the room.

"You really need to tell me when you do that, Aliec!" Gilan said, shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness.

"Sorry," I apologized as I surveyed the room. There was evidence of recent activity, like the cart that kept the mined ores were still here and pickaxes laying across the ground right next to the wall, but there was not a single soul in sight, not even monsters. "Where are the Royal forces that was supposed to be investigating this place?"

"Who knows? Perhaps they already returned to Saint's Haven?" Gilan replied halfheartedly. I could tell he didn't believe what he was telling me.

"We would have passed them already," I told him. He nodded. "Well, you check the other side of the room and I'll take this side. Let's see what we can find."

I whispered the spell again to keep the lightning relic intact and the room illuminated once more before turning to the work in front of me. The little knowledge I had of tracking was put to use as I saw a set of footprints. I followed it, hoping to find where the person was going, but it just stopped in the middle of nowhere. I wasn't even close to a wall or the cart. There were no pickaxes or weapons around me. Giving up on that track, I made my way back to the wall and started scouring out places the miners could have been working at.

And on and on it went. Every so often, I'd have to whisper the spell again to keep the lightning relic with us, but other than that, there was nothing significant to report. I sighed and walked over to where Gilan was investigating. He seemed to be concentrating on something on the ground, so I waited for him to look up.

"Find anything interesting?" I asked him as he stood up, hoping that there was some clue that he found that would make this expedition a bit more worthwhile.

"Nothing I could decipher really," Gilan replied. "Some of these footprints just end in the middle of the room with nothing around it. Perhaps we should have brought a tracker with us, instead of rushing out here."

"Same, nothing out of the usual besides the footprints and there's no one in sight," I replied. "Let's head on back to Saint's Haven and talk to the Royal Court. Perhaps they have some inkling as to where their forces went."

By the time we emerged from the uneventful trip back up the mine path, the bright sun was directly overhead. Could we have been in there that long? I swung my shield back onto my back and tucked my wand back into my waistband. I have no need for them now and my arm was starting to tire from holding it all morning. I rolled my shoulders and shook out my arms as we walked back towards the city. However, as we approached the city gates, we could hear lots of angry shouting and yelling. I looked over at Gilan and he shrugged. He had no idea why there was a commotion either.

Entering the city, we located the crowd in the square and cautiously approached. After saying a lot of "sorry" and "excuse me," I finally made it to the front of the crowd. A couple of possibilities had ran through my mind, but it sure wasn't this. Gilan had followed my lead and was standing next to me in shock as well.

In the center, stood a tall, brown haired girl with a pair of chakrams tied to her waist. She looked to be about our age, but had a strange air of confidence about her. There was also a familiarity about her, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. What made the scene most bizarre was that she was carrying an unconscious soldier, clad in the armor that denoted he was part of the Royal forces, in her arms. Had this girl rescued him? Could he have been part of the Royal force that was sent to the mines to examine the disappearances?

After the initial shock of seeing her and the soldier, I finally tuned into what the people were shouting. It didn't make sense at first, but eventually, I pieced it together. The girl spun around and stared at all the eyes in turn with anger and defiance, until it connected with mine. Something fluttered through her expression but disappeared so quickly that I thought I might have imagined it.

"You there," the girl's musical voice sounded while walking towards me. "Your attire and weapons suggests that you have specialized as a Saint. This man needs medical attention and it seems that none of these people are willing to let me get near the Castle. Saying something about disappearances."

"Just lay him on the ground and I'll see what I can do for him," I answered, my mind turning inward towards the training that I had received ever since my childhood. I opened the soldier's eyelids, checked his breathing, and pressed areas where the armor had become loose in case wounds might have been inflicted.

As I worked, I could distantly hear more shouting and I tuned them out. It wasn't until I was almost done that the girl gave a little scream. Startled, I looked back at the soldier, but he didn't seem to be any different, so I looked up.

Three rather buff civilians had gathered around her in a tight circle and one held the newcomer's wrists in an iron grip. Gilan was there as well, yelling at the three of them to let the girl go.

"What did she ever do to you?" Gilan shouted angrily. "By the look of things, she's new to the area. And just because she showed up with an injured soldier in her arms, doesn't mean she was involved."

" You think it's coincidence that the disappearances started after she arrived in the city yesterday? No, it must be her," one of the men shouted back and the crowd roared their agreement.

Satisfied that the injured soldier would be alright and seeing that they needed some reason drilled into them, I walked over to join in on their conversation. "Why would she attack the soldier then bring him in seeking medical help? If she wanted him to die, she would have just left him there. If she wanted our trust, there's no reason to go to such lengths to get it. As you have certainly displayed, she's distrusted because of it."

The crowd hushed, waiting for the man to find some fallacy in my logic. After a few moments, he reluctantly let go of her wrists. "If she turns out to be the culprit, we'll come looking for you, Aliec, and you'll pay for all her crimes," the man threatened as he walked away. The crowd, seeing that the commotion was over, dispersed.

"Consider me warned," I replied, quietly, under my breath. I turned my attention back to the soldier and made sure that his condition was stable. I casted a couple final healing spells until I was satisfied that he would recover fully. As I was doing that, I heard Gilan and the newcomer whisper to each other rather quietly.

"That was some quick thinking, Aliec," Gilan praised me as I walked over to them. I nodded my thanks. I then turned my attention to the girl and tried to pin down the familiarity that I had felt earlier. Her green eyes were mesmerizing. Her movement was lithe and graceful. I had only ever seen one person move like that. I shook my thoughts away. Gilan, seeing my tiny movement, grinned.

"I'll take the soldier to the castle and consult the Royal Court about our adventures this morning," Gilan informed me and I nodded, grateful that he was taking charge. I was still shaken from the severity of the man's threat, though I knew it was probably an empty one. Gilan then turned towards the newcomer. "You picked a really bad time to come back to the city, but I know you won't let him down, Alyss." I had turned my attention back to the soldier, but at the name, I snapped my head towards her direction. Seeing my surprise, she gave me a little smile.

"It's been a while, Aliec."


	3. Chapter 3: Promise

**Chapter Three:** Promise

The two of us sat quietly on the couch in my living room. After all the commotion, I had asked her to come back to the house with me. I had so much I wanted to say to her, but now that she was here, staring across the little space that separated us, I felt strangely nervous and uncertain of where to start.

My eyes wandered around the room while thinking about what to say, but it always settled back on Alyss. I thought of the little girl she used to be when I first found her alone and crying in the forest near Ironwood Village. I thought of the girl she used to be as we raced across the streets of Saint's Haven, enjoying the exercise and the games. I thought of the girl that had left my side in anger eight years ago after our argument. She was ten then and I was thirteen. We had spent five years together prior. We had been the best of friends.

But now, looking at her after all these years, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to race across the wilderness or hunt the never ending flow of monsters with her. I didn't even know what she was capable of with those chakrams at her side. She was a whole different person now.

"Aliec," Alyss spoke quietly, breaking my reverie and the silence that had filled the room. "I wanted to say thank you for helping me out back at the square and perhaps risking your life on my behalf. I know we parted on bad terms, but it really did mean a lot to me, even if you hadn't recognized me yet."

"I- It was not a problem," I stammered, surprised to hear so many words just to thank me. "The familiarity was there, but I couldn't pinpoint it. Forgive me." The expression on her face told me she understood what those last two words implied. It wasn't just for not recognizing her in the square, but also for the argument that made her leave. "For the life of me, I couldn't remember what we argued about, but I had hoped that it was about something important."

"It wasn't your fault, Aliec. You were trying to talk sense into me, but I only realized that too late. Kind of just like what you did at the square today to that guy," Alyss recounted and gave a quick little half smile. "All I had wanted was revenge for the deaths of my parents and my best childhood friend then. You told me that I should let that anger and thirst for revenge go and look into the future by each other's side. I couldn't accept that and yelled that you couldn't possibly understand the loyalty I felt to my family when you barely knew yours before they abandoned you."

"Yes, I remember now," I replied. "It was the most vicious argument we ever had and I thought it was probably the last. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. But you reappearing on this particular day, I thought I must have been dreaming. You remember what this day was?"

"Of course. It was the day we parted eight years ago," Alyss answered, a little sheepish. "Since then, I had travelled back to Ironwood Village where I thought I could become the warrior to avenge my parents. I meditated at the totem, where I felt most connected to my family and my ancestors, and slowly, I began to become the Spirit Dancer that I was destined for."

I shifted my gaze to those chakrams she wore around her waist and thought of the devastation she could wrought. She always had perfect control of her body movement, becoming the lithe and graceful little girl that I knew. I wondered how that translated into battle.

"I assume you went searching for the man that destroyed your village after you became a Spirit Dancer?" I asked, a bit more relaxed in my environment. I could see that tension had gone out of her too.

"Of those eight years, I trained for seven of them. When I finally felt ready, I went searching for him," Alyss replied. "I scoured all the areas near Ironwood Village as I made my way to Carderock Pass. I didn't find him in the surrounding areas either, which brought my search to Saint's Haven yesterday."

"Will you continue searching for him?" I prompted. She had admitted that she saw the error of her ways all those years ago, but that didn't mean she'd stop pursuing the killer, not after all the training she went through.

"Will you be angry at me if I did?" she answered my question with one of her own.

"No, the amount of loyalty you feel to your family is commendable and I won't stand in the way of your search. Not anymore," I replied with a half smile. "I should have realized how strong the bond was between parents and child."

"I had wondered, during my travels, if we'd ever meet again," she confessed. "But this wasn't how I pictured our first meeting after all those years would be. For the time being, I'll stop my search and help however I can with the situation you guys are currently experiencing, but afterwards I might go off hunting again."

"And when that time comes, I'll be by your side, helping you however I can, I promise. There was a reason behind my specialization as a Saint, you know," I said, seriously. " I'm sure Gilan would be glad to help as well."

At that precise moment, a knock sounded on the wooden door. I got up, hastily, to open it. Gilan appeared in the doorway with a half smile on his face.

"I thought I heard my name mentioned about being glad to help out with something," Gilan said as he strolled into the house and sat down on the couch. "But I didn't catch the first part. What exactly am I helping with?" We quickly brought Gilan up to speed about all that transpired when he was paying a visit to the Royal Court. Gilan smiled. "I'm glad you two made up and of course I'll help in your quest, Alyss."

"Now that you know what we've been up to, what's the report from the Royal Castle?" I asked him, getting back to the business of disappearances.

"They haven't got a clue about any of the disappearances. The force that was sent to the mines never made it back, except for that one soldier," Gilan reported. "He hasn't woken up yet so we couldn't question him, but they have asked Archer Trainer Ishilien if she could examine the mines for the footprints that we found, seeing how she's a much better tracker than the either of us."

"I found him unconscious near the South Gate, in the shrubbery. It was pretty close to the mines," Alyss interjected helpfully. "Perhaps that'll help with the investigation as well?"

"Perhaps. And so, like the miner, he was the only one that made it out. I wonder if there's a connection there," I mused out loud.

"Beats me," Gilan replied, standing up and stretching his arms and legs. Looking out the window, I suddenly realized just how late it was. "We had quite an eventful day, but my body can't take anymore without rest. I should be getting home." I nodded.

"Alyss, do you have a place to stay? I have a guest room that no one ever uses, if you want to stay here," I offered, somewhat hoping that she'd accept. We had so much more catching up to do.

"That would be great," Alyss replied.

"Don't stay up talking too late you two. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow," Gilan said sweetly before letting himself out of the house.

"Good night," the two of us said synchronously as his figure faded into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4: Loss

**Chapter Four:** Loss

Several days had passed since the disappearances of the miners and the small group of Royal forces, but nothing seemed to be turning up. Ishilien had checked the footprints, but she couldn't figure out where they led either, since she said there were no other clues around. They just seemed to have vanished in thin air, which I suppose isn't really too far out there with all the magic floating around Altera.

I got back into my daily routine of running errands for the Royal Court. Alyss was by my side the whole time, since she didn't want to be confined in the house all day and didn't want to risk getting caught up with other civilians if she roamed the city. Gilan, who was two years younger than I was, on the other hand, was training with Warrior Trainer Rodrigo and several of warriors around his age.

I looked across the square, replaying the conversation that I had with the Bishop. One of the ships, carrying the weekly supplies that Saint's Haven needed, had gone down a little ways off Port Hemlate due to a pirate attack. My task was to recover as much supplies and kill as many pirates as I could. It sounded simple enough and I had Alyss to accompany me as well.

"Ready to go?" I asked her as I turned my attention back to her. She was doing another set of pushups to keep her arms at full strength, since the chakrams were really much heavier than they seemed. I still couldn't believe that she was back and that we got along so well afterwards.

"Yeah," she said, standing up, rolling her shoulders. "Let's go teach those pirates a lesson!" I smiled at her enthusiasm as we made our way, once again, to the South Gate of the city and beyond to the port a couple miles further. The pirate hideout was just a little ways off the pier, so we had to board a small ship, that was arranged for us, to get there.

I enjoyed the saltiness in the air and the gentle rocking of the boat as we made our way towards the island. However, as I looked over at my companion, I could see she wasn't enjoying the ride as I was. Instead, she was holding her stomach and her head resting was on her knees. "You okay?" I asked her.

"I will be once we get to the island. I hate the sea," she said with a little groan. I nodded and started rubbing her back gently. Before long, we arrived on the little beach area of the island. Getting out of the ship, Alyss sprawled on the sand. I made some arrangements with the captain about where to wait for us. I had seen a relatively well hidden area on our way here and I relayed that information to him. Then, I jumped out and landed next to Alyss.

She was in a sitting position now and was rubbing her forehead with her hand. "Feeling better?" I asked her. She nodded and stood up while removing the chakrams from her waist and held them tightly, one in each hand. I swung my shield in place and released the wand from its clasp at my waist.

Without a word, the both of us moved quietly away from the beach and towards inner area of the island. It wasn't long before we came upon a wooden gate and some wooden fences. The gates were closed and there was no one guarding it. I surveyed the area some more. There were no places for any of the pirates to hide. This was almost too easy.

I placed my hand on the gate to test if it was locked. It probably was, but given the lack of security, I felt the need to check. Before I pushed the gate, however, there was a sudden crack and the sound of wood tumbling down. I swerved my head in that direction and saw Alyss, lowering her chakrams, stand up from the pile of rubble. She winked at me before entering the hideout. Grinning, I shook my head at her impulsiveness.

The further we walked, the more devastation littered the ground. There were broken crates scattered all around, some with food tumbling out, others with an assortment of material to make weapons. There was still a small campfire burning to the right, but other than that, no movement or noise could be found.

"Where are the pirates? I would have guessed there would be tons of them just laying around, enjoying their spoils from the ship they sunk," Alyss asked me as if I knew where they were. I didn't have any more information about our mission than what the Bishop had told me and I had related all of that to her already.

"Perhaps they are out raiding again," I suggested. "Let's look for our supplies, shall we? It's much easier without them around, so I'm not complaining, but still be on the lookout in case they come back." Alyss just nodded in agreement and, together, we searched the more intact boxes.

I started my search near the campfire, as I could see that most of the boxes weren't even open yet. It was curious that the campfire was still burning, since that most likely meant they had planned to stay here much longer than expected. I searched all the crates for Saint's Haven's symbol and, sure enough, there were a couple of them with the emblem. I put my weapons away for the time being and picked up the crates one by one and carried them away from the camp site and towards the now broken fence.

Alyss hadn't had as much luck as I did, but she still found a crate or two. All together, we had found seven crates, but I was sure there would be others. This area was just the beginning of the hideout.

Suddenly, a tremendously loud battle cry sounded from deeper in the hideout. We looked at each other and tensed. I quickly drew my weapons again and crested the hill behind the camp. Alyss gasped in surprise as she came up behind me.

Down below, a battle had been started. One force were the pirates with their wolfish looking members and little kobolds. The other force belonged to Saint's Haven, but it wasn't the Royal forces. It was hard to see the faces of Saint's Haven's warriors, but I recognized one warrior by his shock of blonde hair and the fluid movement of his heavy greatsword.

"Gilan!" I shouted, but of course, he didn't hear me. No one heard me, except Alyss. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was in motion. I ran the last few steps up the hill and then flew downwards as fast as I could.

The battle was still probably a mile away, when suddenly, a screen of darkness appeared out of nowhere, covering the entire battlefield. And just as quickly as it appeared, the darkness dissipated. I stopped in my tracks and Alyss, who had been keeping up, almost crashed into me. I couldn't believe my eyes or my ears.

One moment, there were screaming and grunting and yelling everywhere, and the next, the battlefield was deathly silent. The area now before me was empty of breathing pirates and warriors. The only trace that there had ever been more people in the area was the vast number of weapons that littered the ground. Too many to be just from the dead.

"What happened to them?" Alyss whispered next to me. "How could they be all gone in a matter of a few seconds? What was that darkness?"

"I don't know, but if that was magic, it was a powerful one," I replied, still recovering from the shock. Now, however, my thoughts turned towards Gilan. I couldn't remember the last time I hadn't known roughly where his location was, and now, we have no leads as to where he'd disappeared to.

Sensing where the direction of my thoughts were going, Alyss patted my shoulder. "We'll find him. Perhaps, we should search for survivors," Alyss said in a low voice. I gave her a weak smile and nodded.

The two of us ran the rest of the way to the battlefield. I started on the far right side where most of the warrior students of Saint's Haven had been, while Alyss took the middle where the two forces clashed. Careful not to tread on any bodies, I moved around the field, searching every body for a pulse. For a long while, I was just staring into different faces of young warriors that were all dead. There weren't many, but it was still a loss. I had almost given up hope that we'd find any survivors until Alyss urgently called me over.

I raced, as fast as I could, without treading on the dead, towards her. She was propping up an older warrior with her hands and trying to give him some water. Where she had found the canteen, I had no idea, but I was grateful that she was tending to him. As I neared, I recognized the face. It was Warrior Trainer Rodrigo.

His eyes were closed, but his chest was rising and falling quickly with each shallow breath. I got to work right away. Starting from the blood soaked areas, I uttered healing spells to close the wounds beneath. I tested every bone and watched for a reaction from the warrior, but there was nothing broken. Murmuring a couple more healing spells, I was satisfied with my work and that he would be okay. The only thing he needed now was rest.

Suddenly, with a groan, his gray eyes opened. He stared at the two of us hovering over him. Confusion plagued his expression, but as he looked a little longer, his eyes focused on me. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. It took too much effort for his still recuperating body. However, he glanced down at his clenched left hand and then back at me. I got his meaning.

Gently, I opened his hand and withdrew a piece of crumpled paper. Puzzled, I opened it up to find two lines written in perfect handwriting. I glanced at Rodrigo, who had fainted again, then back at the paper. I wondered where he came by this piece of paper, but I was pretty sure he wasn't the one who authored it. I quickly memorized the two lines and passed the paper to Alyss. She glanced quickly at it and tucked it into her waistband.

"Let's get him back to Saint's Haven," I said, quietly. Alyss nodded in agreement.


	5. Chapter 5: Tainted

**Chapter Five**: Tainted

The rest of the day passed by in a blur and now I find myself sitting, once again, on the couch in my living room. We got Rodrigo and the stolen supplies back to the Royal Castle. We reported the battle from our point of view and the note that Rodrigo had given us. We weren't able to question Rodrigo about the note, since he was still unconscious.

Alyss was sitting beside me, but ever since reading that note, she seemed to have withdrawn inside herself. She was looking around the living room, but I was pretty sure she wasn't seeing anything, since her eyes were slightly unfocused. I wonder what on that piece of note could have elicited this type of response from her.

The note was two lines long, though each line only had a few words. They kept replaying in my mind as I tried to figure out what exactly it meant. _Desolation has been heeded. The final point is now needed._ As far as I could tell, something bad is in the process of becoming true. Whatever this final point was, we couldn't let the culprit have it.

"What's troubling you, Alyss?" I asked her, gently and quietly. "You're not the same ever since we got back."

"After realizing that Gilan disappeared right in front of your eyes, the lost expression on your face spoke volumes to me," she answered me just as quietly. "It was the look that said you'd do anything to get him back."

"Of course, he's been a great friend to me these past few years, ever since we met each other. You were there that day too. And for the following year, the three of us did everything together," I said. I wasn't going to bring up whatever happened the following years after she left, not at a time like this. "The only thing I that I don't understand was why Rodrigo and his students were there first place."

"I wondered if I had left such a big impact in your life when we parted ways," she whispered. She couldn't seem to find her voice. She gave me a sad smile. "Selfish, I know, but I've wondered." So that's what have been bothering her. She was somewhat jealous of my friendship with Gilan.

"You thought you leaving won't leave a mark on me?" I said, hearing the surprise evident in my voice. "You were the only one who knew me as well as I did at the time. You were the little sister that I never had."

"I'm sorry for everything I've put you through," she apologized as her mind picked up the unspoken implication. "I wasn't thinking straight."

"Those events were in the past. They don't matter as much as the present," I told her, comfortingly. "I'm glad you're back. We've been getting reacquainted with each other these past couple days, soon it'll be just like it used to be."

"Thanks, Aliec," she replied as she leaned over and put her head on my shoulder, just like when we were little. "This means a lot to me." We stayed that way for a while, reveling in the newfound bond between us. It seemed that we both got rid of the taint of our past and was looking forward to a great time together in the future.

The next thing I hear was a faint click in the silent night. I opened the eyes that I didn't remember closing. It took me a while to get my bearing as the last conversation inched its way back into my mind. I looked over to where Alyss had been sitting before I had fallen asleep. There was no one there. I looked out the window. It was still dark, so I haven't been sleeping long, but why did she go out in the middle of the night?

Worried about her safety, I picked up my weapons and headed out into the night. After leaving the house, I looked around, hoping I had been quick enough to catch on so that I wouldn't lose her. There was a faint movement in my peripheral vision. I swerved my head in that direction to see a tall agile shape move across the alley into the shadow of another house.

I smiled to myself as I followed her into the night. I could have shouted out and asked her where she was going, but I doubt she would have told me, since she could have just woke me up earlier. I wanted to know where she was going. She was moving fast across the square and towards the far side of the wall. It took all of my training and endurance to be able to keep up with her while not making a single sound that would alert her to my presence.

I understood why she was moving towards that direction. At night, there was no way to get out of the city, since all the gates were closed and stationed with guards. Since she clearly didn't want to be spotted, she went to our old playing area. There was a massive tree there that was higher than the wall and was easily climbable.

Glancing around, she started to scramble up the tree and onto the thickest branch above the wall. Knowing that the end of that branch wouldn't hold her weight, she jumped onto the wall before reaching it. I hid in the shadow of the house and watched her stealthily scale the tree.

When she was out of sight on the other side of the wall, I quickly mounted the tree and followed her technique. Before I moved to the thick branch, I looked to see the direction she was headed. The vantage point was quite spectacular here and I could see miles in each directions. Well, perhaps not miles, but there was a lot that could be seen.

Now that she was outside the city, she was running full speed towards Port Hemlate in a mostly straight line. I made a mental note and quickly scampered onto the branch and jumped down on the other side of the wall.

Regaining my balance after my jump, I quickly made my way towards the port. It was a wide open area, so I could still see her in the distance. I had no hope of catching up to her now, since she was a much faster runner than I was, but I knew where she was headed. That little path she turned onto near the water only led to one place. Desolation Point.

Before I could wonder why she would be going to that monster infested place, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I made to turn around, but something hit me hard in the back of the head. Groaning loudly in surprise, I fell and could feel myself fading...


	6. Chapter 6: Reunion

**Chapter Six:** Reunion

As I came to, I could hear murmuring beside me. I had the presence of mind not to open my eyes straight away. All the events that happened when I was last conscious flooded into back into my mind. I tried to turn my head so that my ear was closer to the source. What I wasn't prepared for was the lance of pain that spread throughout my head as I moved it. I let out a small groan of surprise and opened my eyes.

It didn't matter now if my eyes were closed or opened, since I had pretty much announced to whoever was murmuring that I was awake. I'd much rather see than pretend that I was still sleeping and hope that the person wouldn't realize.

I took in my surrounding. As it turned out, I hadn't need to be so cautious. Sitting in a row beside me, all tied to a log behind them, were the missing people of Saint's Haven. Without thinking, I tried to move my arm and yelped in pain as my restraint bit into my wrist. There was a pile of weapons in front of me, just out of my reach, but I saw that my wand and shield were there. Whoever put those weapons there wasn't very smart. If one of us got slightly loose, we could reach it with our feet.

The murmuring had stopped and all their heads were turned towards me, but what really scared me was that their eyes were unfocused as if they were struggling with something within themselves. I searched the faces for Gilan's and saw that he was sitting a couple people away. He gave me a big smile as we made eye contact. Relief flooded through me as I took in Gilan's condition. I was glad that he didn't have that weird look on him.

"Where are we? Where's Alyss? I was following her to Desolation Point before someone hit me in the head," I asked quickly in a low voice.

"You were following Alyss?" he asked me, surprised. "She's not among us." I strained my eyes further down the row to see if I could see anyone else in the darkness, but I couldn't.

"Do you know what's going on?" I questioned him urgently. "Why do these people look so dreadful?" I wanted to get as much information out of him as possible before whoever did this came back.

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "It's been like this ever since I woke up. I tried to talk to some of these people here, but they seem to be preoccupied with something and ignored me."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," I said, not liking the direness of the situation. To keep my mind off of that, I asked Gilan, "what were you guys doing at the hideout?"

"Rodrigo wanted to give us some real life experiences in battling more intelligent monsters and heard the Bishop say that the pirates had sunken one of the ships carrying Saint's Haven's supplies," Gilan answered. "Though I can't say I'm not surprised that you knew I was there." And with that, I brought him up to date on what I've been doing.

As I finished up my story, a rough voice could be heard. "I told you we should have gagged the ones that he hasn't performed the spell on. They seem to have been enjoying themselves while we were getting the master."

"There was no point," another voice joined in. Now, this voice, I recognized. I stared at Gilan then turned my head in the direction of the voices. Another sharp lance of pain swept through me again and my vision blurred. I needed to remember to do that more slowly.

As my eyes focused again, I could see the two figures standing in front of me. One was a wolfish creature, one of the pirates. The other, I didn't even need to look to see. It was Alyss. I stared into her eyes, searching for some reason behind all this, challenging her to tell me. She looked away.

"Now that we've all gathered together for yours truly," a voice boomed in the clearing as tendrils of darkness appeared behind Alyss and the pirate. A tall figure with reddish hair and a long hooded cloak walked out into the clearing. "It's time to being the final process."

I shifted my attention to the mysterious man, the culprit that we had been searching for. "What final process?" I challenged before I could stop the words from flowing out of my mouth.

"My, so passionate for my cause," the man said with a cheerful tone, flexing his muscular arm. "You will know shortly, as I will be personally attending to the three of you that I haven't welcomed yet." He then turned to the young boy sitting next to Gilan.

"Don't touch him," Gilan shouted vehemently at the culprit while struggling with the bonds that tied him to the log. Without even looking at Gilan, the culprit slapped him across the face. I heard a crack as his hand connected with Gilan's nose. The force of the impact snapped his head back and I heard him grunt in surprise and pain. Then, he went limp and his whole body sagged backwards, onto the log.

"Don't worry, your friend here is just unconscious," the stranger said to me before I could start shouting insults at him. "I would advise you not to make the same mistake he had."

Knowing that my head couldn't take another beating, I stayed silent and watched him as he worked his magic with the boy Gilan was trying to protect. Even though I was trying to comprehend just what the culprit was doing, I was also working on the bonds that bound me to the log. If I could just loosen it a little bit, I could reach my weapons. I needed my wand to channel more powerful magic, either offensive attacks or heals.

Dropping the boy, the stranger moved towards Gilan. I noticed that the boy now had that look the others around me had. Just what was this person doing? Surely, he couldn't be a cleric, but who else could use magic like that. The sorceresses won't let any male learn their magic, because of what happened to...

"Kalahan," I muttered beneath my breath. It all made sense now. He was the one that caused the Astral Coven reject any male who wanted to learn their magic. His cruel nature, combined with his immense magical power, wasn't something the sorceresses wanted. They denied him leadership of the Coven.

"You need not to be so passionate about me, priest," Kalahan answered. I started. I didn't realize he could hear that well. "While I'm flattered that you want me so bad, I will attend to you soon." And with that, he opened Gilan's eyes and looked straight into it while muttering a spell in a quiet voice. I struggled more vigorously with the bonds that held me. I could feel the rope cut into my wrist, drawing blood, but I could heal that later. I couldn't let him do whatever he was doing to Gilan succeed. I couldn't bear the thought of Gilan looking at me with those unfocused eyes.

"Aliec, I hadn't meant to get you or Gilan involved in any of this, but I could give you an advice," Alyss whispered into my ear. I had been so focused on Kalahan that I didn't hear Alyss approach. "The less you struggle, the less pain you will feel."

So she was on his side. I had considered the possibility that she had been threatened by Kalahan, but hearing that now... It shattered my heart. "Why?!" I vented all my rage, betrayal, and the frustration of not being able to free myself and help Gilan into that one word. "What is the purpose of this?" I stopped struggling with the bondage. I couldn't get out and my hands were going numb.

"As I said, your involvement in this was by accident. I hadn't meant to drag you in, but you just had to follow me tonight," Alyss said, a little regret in her voice.

"I thought you might have needed a little help," I answered her. Then something else clicked in my head. "That note was for you, wasn't it. Kalahan must have given it to Rodrigo on the battlefield earlier today."

"You're smart, as always. Yes, that message was intended for me. It described the location I would meet Kalahan at while telling the rest of you that something big was happening tonight," she told me.

"And that something big that's happening tonight?" I questioned.

" Kalahan promised that he'd find the man who killed my parents and destroyed my village. He just needed to harness a little more power before being able to do that," she answered, putting her hand on my shoulder. I wondered if that was supposed to be a comforting gesture.

"And you believed that?" I shouted at her. Could she really be that blind? "I doubt he's short on power if he could make so many people disappear without a trace at the same time."

"Now, now, stop talking to me as if I'm not here," Kalahan's voice sounded in my ears. "It's your turn now, young priest."


	7. Chapter 7: Revelation

**Chapter Seven**: Revelation

My turn. I had seen him use his powers on two people so far tonight, but I wondered just what he was going to do. It didn't seem he hurt any of them, since the boy didn't make a sound, but they all ended up in the same condition.

My thoughts were interrupted as Kalahan squatted down right in front of me. I had seen him make eye contact with both of them and I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of dominating me, so I looked away. It was futile, of course. Using one hand, he wrapped it around my jaw and turned my head so that I was looking at him, causing my head to throb. Before I had the chance to close my eyes, he stared straight into them and muttered his spell.

At first, I felt nothing. But as time passed, a strange sensation filled me. I could feel him drag memories out of me, but it was going really slowly. To make it worse, I was reliving every second of it. The argument I had with Alyss. The devastating moment when she turned her back on me and walked out of my life. The depression and loneliness as I coped with the loss of her in my life. The regret I had felt for arguing with her. The promise I made to myself about making it all up to her the next time I see her.

Struggling with all the sorrow and regret he had brought to the surface, I felt a final single tug and my mind went blank. I blinked, looking around. What had I been thinking about? I dug through my brain, searching for the memories of the last few moments. I knew they were agonizing, but I couldn't remember what I was thinking about.

"You see, I have learned to harness the powers that comes from memories over the last couple years. With it, I can enhance my powers with whatever your memories were about. And your memories of sorrow and regret are quite potent," I heard him say, though his voice seemed to come from a great distance, even though I could slightly see the outline of his shape, which was still in front of me. "It is almost enough of what I need to wreck havoc on the Astral Coven for denying me leadership. Every single last one of those sorceresses will have a lovely nightmare of unforeseen magnitude tonight." He moved his arms slightly back and forth, probably showing off his muscles again.

I could hear an audible gasp from Alyss. When she spoke, her voice was shaky or, perhaps, that was my hearing. It was really hard to concentrate on their conversation as I was still trying to remember, trying to search for what I was missing. "You promised me that you'd help locate the man who destroyed my village!"

I shook my head clear. I could try and find the missing memories later, but for now, something important was going down and I had to make sense of it all. As I did, my eyes focused on the scene before me. I could see and hear clearly once again.

"And the man you described is one of the Seven Apostles, the Blue Wolf. However, seeing as how Liam and I are somewhat friends, it wouldn't have been nice of me to search for him when he doesn't want to be found," Kalahan responded, sweetly. "It has been quite wonderful working with you, sweetheart, but I need one last piece from you."

Alyss' eyes narrowed as Kalahan moved closer to her. She was still standing behind me with a hand on my shoulder. As Kalahan moved forward, an orb that had been concealed in his cloak was visible from my vantage point. It was pulsing with dark energy.

"Don't be difficult, sweetheart," Kalahan spoke. And in one fluid motion, Alyss drew her chakrams into her hands, while efficiently slicing through the bonds that held me."Your priest friend is lost in his mind, trying to find the memories I had stolen. He won't be any help to you." Kalahan's laugh was eerie.

Without acknowledging his comments, she backed up a couple steps and then dashed forward again, as agile as a wolf. The fluidity and control of her motions were amazing as she unleash attack after attack on Kalahan, but I could see that the attacks weren't landing on him.

It was a good thing he wasn't expecting me to do anything. That confidence in his power will lead to his downfall. I'll make sure of it. I watched for a moment of opportunity for me to grab my weapons unnoticed. I moved my wrists in circles, trying to get circulation back in them since they were still numb from all the struggling earlier, as I waited.

As Alyss continued to unleash her relentless attacks on him, Kalahan advanced forward muttering a spell. A tendril of darkness, or what seems like it as I couldn't see too well, snaked out from him and hit Alyss on the arm. With an audible gasp of pain, she dropped her chakram.

They were now both behind me, with Kalahan getting ready to unleash another attack. Taking this moment, I rolled to my feet and dashed towards the weapon pile. Quickly grabbing my wand and swinging my shield into my still numb hands, I said a summoning spell.

Out of nowhere, between Alyss and Kalahan, a healing relic appeared. Its heals only worked on the ones I designate, so I didn't need to worry about it helping Kalahan. A quick flash of surprise appeared on Kalahan's face as he turned towards me.

Without warning, he unleashed streams of fire and ice towards me. I threw up my holy shield just in time to block his attack, but I knew my shield wouldn't last, and I was so tired from the beating I had received earlier. Couple that with mental exhaustion, I knew I was going to make a mistake sooner or later.

"The orb, Alyss!" I shouted as Kalahan threw another spell at me. I could feel it was more powerful than the last and that my holy shield was starting to break down. It was now or never. "Break it. The memories that he had harnessed is stored there, I'm sure of it."

I could see that Alyss had recovered from the shock and the healing relic was restoring her damaged arm. She picked up the chakram that she had dropped and nodded to me, though I could see confusion in her eyes. "Concealed beneath his cloak," I added quickly, then gave her a quick smile as I turned my attention back to Kalahan.

But it was too late. With a final spell, he broke through the holy shield and struck me quite forcefully in the middle of my chest. I've never felt any raw magical power that strong or that potent before. He really was as powerful as the tales had described.

I felt myself sail through the air as my vision became hazy. I landed on the ground on my back with a loud thud and many cracks as the wind was knocked out of me. I lay there, still and blinking back tears, while trying to get all the air I could into my lungs. Every part of my body hurt. It felt as if I was on fire.

"Aliec!" I faintly heard Alyss scream. I couldn't see what was happening between the two, but I could still hear Alyss grunting with effort and Kalahan laughing.

As I got back a little bit of air, I feebly lifted my head and tried to look around for my wand that I could feel wasn't in my hand anymore, but a sharp lance of pain shot through and my head swam. I drew in several deep breaths and waited for it to settle.

Once the nausea disappeared, I lifted my head again, desperately searching for my wand. I spotted it, lying a few meters away, in pieces. Letting out an angry and painful growl, I let my head fall back to the ground in defeat, the fight leaving my body. I hoped that Alyss would be able to at least break the orb without my help.

My mind drifted all over the place. I could still hear the two battling, but they were becoming indistinct. I was glad that Alyss was now on my side, now that she realized she'd been lied to. I was sorry that I couldn't help her more with a foe that was beyond anything we could defeat. I was sorry I couldn't keep my promise to Alyss to help her find Liam. I was sorry I couldn't help Gilan earlier. There were so many things I was sorry for, but wouldn't be able to tell them.

An inhuman roar of rage pierced through my scrambled thoughts. How long had it been since I last focused on the battle? Was there even a battle anymore? I strained my ears to hear, but silence met it.

Then, I could feel someone tapping me urgently. I opened my eyes to find Alyss staring down at me with those beautiful eyes. And next to her, Gilan's young face looked back at me. His eyes were back to normal. "Oh, thank goodness," Alyss said, breathless. "I thought I lost you again."

"The orb... break it?" I croaked slowly and incoherently. I was still in the process of getting my thoughts together.

"Yes, I had a little trick up my sleeve that I had learned during my training. He didn't suspect me capable of summoning a spirit to aid me," Alyss explained quickly. "Kalahan threw one last spell towards me and disappeared afterward. It won't be the last time I see him, I can guarantee that."

"You did great," I said in between gasps. " I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my promise to you."

"No, you're going to be fine," Alyss said, tears welling in her eyes. "I won't let you slip away from me. I'll take care of you while you heal. It'll be just like before, when we were little!"

I tried to lift my hand to wipe those tears away, but intense pain shot up my arm. I let it fall back to the ground. "I'm glad you came around, Alyss. Everything worked out for the best," I told her, giving her the biggest smile I could manage.

"Nothing worked out," she whispered, shaking her head vigorously. "I saw the memories that he pulled out of you. You don't know how truly sorry I am." I gave her a sad smile, trying to tell her that it was all right. "We need to get you medical attention right away," she went on urgently. It was my turn to shake my head, ever so slightly. Nothing could help me now.

Vaguely, I saw Gilan put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head miserably. Alyss sighed in uttered defeat, but hugged me to her as tightly as she could. With the two of them around me in my final moments, I was content. I hoped the two would be able to take care of each other, help each other and the world of Altera in the future without me by their side. I was already fading into nothingness as I let go of my last breath.


End file.
